One of those days...

I've never quite figured out how a seemingly decent day can turn into one of those days without a specific horrid stimulus to drive it. Today was supposed to be a decent day... probably even bordering on the side of a really good day. The kids all woke up on the right side of the bed, we're still close enough to the last shopping trip that there was plenty to make everyone happy for breakfast, and we were going swimming!

How can swimming not equal a good day?

Somehow, it didn't. After 45 minutes at the pool there were complaints about eyes stinging, noses burning, throats aching. Are they sick? I don't think so. It was just complaining. I mean, it was fun, but at the same time it seemed to be deteriorating into less and less fun, know what I mean?

About 50 minutes into the swim, I felt myself snap. I had a kid at each ear, trying to overshout the others for the next thing we were going to play. One was being moody because she didn't want to lose any more underwater contests and one was being moody because she didn't want to concede that perhaps the fact that she was older and slightly more experienced meant that perhaps she could take it a little easy on the younger, less experienced ones.

Recognizing the need to remove myself from the equation, I got out of the pool only to realize that hey, maybe it was just too darned hot to be swimming. It's just fricking miserable out there. In fact, my oldest was just seconds behind me and nearly weeping, "Let's just go home."

She was hot, there were enormous horseflies terrorizing us (mutant, enormous things -- no kidding), and the sun was already burning a whole through the spf30 sunscreen I had just reapplied to the back of my neck.

So we're back in the house... where the AC hasn't stopped running for even a minute. We've all made our appologies to each other for being so crabby, and they are off... somewhere... to a cooler realm of play.

The oldest came out and gave me a hug though.

"It's okay, Mom. Just one of those days."